[C]umbria County Council’s cabinet is being urged to back proposals put forward by Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, which would see the partial reversal of proposed cuts to fire crewing in South Lakeland, as a first-step to safeguarding fire cover for the area.
Councillor James Airey, the Conservative Group leader on Cumbria County Council, has been leading a campaign to force the county council to scrap the proposed cuts to fire cover in the district which were unveiled by the authority’s Liberal Democrat cabinet member for fire and rescue services in November 2017.
Now, after a vigorous campaign and widescale public opposition, the council’s Cabinet is due to meet in Kendal tomorrow (22 March) to consider a partial reversal of its proposals for Ulverston fire station, and a new proposal to increase fire cover in Kendal.
A petition urging tomorrow’s cabinet meeting to ratify the U-turn will be presented to cabinet members by councillor Airey before the meeting at County Hall in Kendal.
Councillor Airey, said: “The partial reversal of the council’s reduction in full-time fire crewing in Ulverston, and new proposal to bring forward a full-time night-shift at Kendal fire station, would not have come about without the public support which our campaign received.
“If approved by the council’s cabinet, this will be a positive first-step but it is not the end. We will be watching the council like a hawk in the weeks and months ahead to prevent any backsliding. We will also be pressing them to go the whole hog on their Ulverston U-turn and restore full-time fire cover at Ulverston fire station.”
